Graphical user interfaces (GUI) enable users to navigate among various options, programs, and features available by a system and have become a standard feature for computer systems. Some systems may enable a user to open and operate multiple different programs simultaneously, with each program having a GUI that enables users to select features and functions in that program. In order to move between multiple open programs GUI's, an operating system GUI may be provided that has a task bar containing icons that may be selected to activate a different open program. A different icon may be presented in the task bar for each program that is opened by the system. Additional icons may also be presented in the task bar.
These systems do not provide a mechanism within a GUI for easily opening other programs or files within particular programs. To open a program, these systems require the user to either (1) utilize a start menu and enter the name of the program or file to be opened (which requires the user to remember the name of the file for the program or browse through a number of files) or (2) minimize all currently displayed program GUIs to reveal a desktop on which various icons may be presented that, when selected, open a particular program that is available on the system. To open a file within a particular program, a user repeats these steps, opens the desired program GUI, and then, after the desired program GUI has been opened, the user proceeds with various steps within that program to open a desired file.
For example, if a user has a word processing GUI opened and desires to read a particular electronic mail message, the user must first open an electronic mail program and then open the desired message within that program. If the electronic mail program is already active, the user must still select the icon from the task bar for the electronic mail program and then open the desired file. This requires performing several steps for each action.
Other current systems may present a plurality of available programs superimposed within a program window. For example, a plurality of selectable icons may be presented near the top of the program GUI. The user may open one of these programs by selecting the icon presented at the top. To open a particular file within that program, the user must still open the program from one of the superimposed icons and then open the file within the program.
Further, within each program a user may open multiple files or have multiple windows opened at the same time within that program's GUI. To navigate between various open windows, the program GUI may provide a menu bar with pull-down menus that provide a variety of selectable functions. One of the pull-down menus may comprise a listing of the opened windows within the program. The user may thereby activate a different window by selecting from the list of windows presented in the pull-down menu.
Some current systems also permit the user to have multiple windows presented within a program GUI window at the same time. The user may select the size of each window and may have the windows tiled or cascaded, for example. Additionally, some systems enable a user to minimize each window within a program window. Accordingly, multiple icons corresponding to each opened window within a program window may be presented within the program window. The user may then select the window to be maximized by selecting the icon corresponding to the program window. These current systems therefore do not provide an easy way to move between open windows within a program GUI.
Other drawbacks also exist with existing systems.